Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar was well-known for his incredible swing with the new ball.Reuters

Praveen Kumar may have been a quality swing bowler for India in the past. The cricketer has once again swung it big, and has decided to start a new innings and join Indian politics with Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. 

This is not for the first time that an Indian cricketer has joined politics. Players like Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kirti Azad, Sreesanth tried their hand, and are still in the political scenario of India.

Kumar has been quite impressed with the work Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been doing in the state, and the pacer wants to do whatever he can for the party in the future. 

However, he has made it clear that he is not experienced in the field of politics and would love to learn the tricks of the trade.

"I have met CM and decided to join the party. I will do whatever is possible for the party. I am a kid in this field. As of now I will try to learn it (politics)," he told Press Trust of India.

This decision, somewhat, comes as a surprise as the cricketer is still involved in the sport of cricket, but has not represented India for quite some time. He last played for India against South Africa in the T20 format in March 2012.

He was known for his swinging ability with the new ball in international cricket, and he has taken 27 wickets in 6 Test matches for India, 77 wickets (68 ODIs) and 8 (10 T20s) so far.